A Healthier, Low-Emitting Classroom to be Showcased at Greenbuild

ATLANTA – A healthier, low-emitting, built classroom environment will comprise the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute’s booth exhibit at Greenbuild 2010, helping to raise awareness about the importance of good indoor air quality in schools and the simple ways it can be achieved.

The 20-foot by 20-foot classroom will feature GREENGUARD Children & SchoolsSM certified products from an array of manufacturers, including Accent Signage, IdeaPaint, KI, Knauf Insulation, Mondo, Owens Corning, Sherwin-Williams, StonePeak, Tesco Industries, Verosol, and Virco. GREENGUARD Children & Schools-certified products meet some of the most stringent chemical emissions requirements in the world, allowing them to contribute to the creation of healthier indoor environments. They also qualify for points under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System.

“When you consider the recent and dramatic rise in asthma rates among children—who spend upwards of 85 percent of their time indoors, not outdoors—it’s hard not to question the healthfulness of their built environments, particularly their schools,” says Henning Bloech, executive director of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute. “It’s a known fact that products used to construct and furnish schools and other buildings can be major sources of airborne chemicals and other indoor air pollutants. By showcasing a built classroom environment that’s scientifically proven to be low-emitting, we hope to provide a roadmap for architects, designers, and builders to follow in the real world.”

In addition to exhibiting at Greenbuild 2010, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is participating in “Products Not Pollution,” an executive roundtable discussion on the role of sustainability in product design. The roundtable will feature Dr. Marilyn Black, founder of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute; David Walker of Dyson; Kirsten Richie of Gensler; Zorana Bosnic of HOK San Francisco; Vance Bell, CEO of Shaw Floors; and Bob Peoples of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute®, who will moderate.

“While it’s very important to consider and minimize a building’s impact on the natural environment and its surrounding ecosystem, it’s imperative that we also take into account the way products inside the building affect the health of its occupants,” says Black. “Greenbuild is the perfect forum for this discussion, and I look forward to sharing this platform with such a distinguished panel.”

Greenbuild 2010 takes place Nov. 17 through Nov. 19 at McCormick Place West in Chicago. The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute will exhibit at Booth #1545.

About GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute aims to protect human health and improve quality of life by enhancing indoor air quality and reducing people’s exposure to chemicals and other pollutants. As an ISO-IEC Guide 65:1996 accredited, third-party organization, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions and provides a resource for choosing healthier products and materials for indoor environments. All certified products must meet stringent chemical emissions standards based on established criteria from key public health agencies. GREENGUARD certification is broadly recognized and accepted by sustainable building programs and building codes worldwide. For more information and a complete listing of certified products, visit www.greenguard.org.